I Said I Love You
by Ch0k-naT
Summary: Cloud and Tifa are sleeping together?


**Ch0knaT: **_lu li lu li lu_

Ehehe. This ones-shot just popped out my head. XD. I know I should be working on my other fic, well, I am, sorry that I haven't updated that one; I suddenly went to a change of 'course' with the story. Anyway, I shall be updating tomorrow. :)

Hehe. This is my 3rd One-shot. I couldn't get the idea off my head so here I am writing. Gomen-ne, I tend to be very impulsive. Wish me luck! ;p

Please do read and review. Criticisms are always welcome. :)

Here goes…

_**I Said I Love You.**_

Cloud Strife was never really good in showing his emotions. No, not him. He was better at other things, he was good at deliveries, he was good at fighting, he was good at saving the world, but at the simple things? Well, I guess not. It's been 6 months since his last battle, occasionally he'd get to 'practice' by fighting monsters he'd pass by during deliveries, but yea, it's been 6 months since his last real fight. Well, last physical fight. His internal conflicts were still there.

Internal conflicts?

Wait.

What internal conflicts?

Let's see. Uhm, ever since his last fight, he had forgiven himself. No problem there. He had also returned home. No problem either. He had a family. No problem too. It seems that he was living quite a life. He had a steady job. People knew him, well, he is a hero after all. Plus, there were no silver haired men trying to cut his head off. It couldn't be smoother.

His life was fine. Perfect. He had kids, who can act as younger brother and sister and son and daughter at the same time. He had a hot barmaid slash best friend slash secret lover living with him.

Where's the conflict?

What else?

Oh. Wait wait wait.

_He had a hot barmaid slash best friend slash secret lover living with him._

Got it. There may be no homicidal silver haired man chasing after him, but a sick nervous feeling kept coming was. Hn. It was actually worse than facing Sephiroth. Everytime he'd go near the certain hot barmaid, he'd feel the sick tummy feeling. He's felt that eversince. Yea, we all know it. Tifa Lockheart, the only person in Gaia who had the ability to leave the famous Chocobo-head powerless.

He wanted to tell her how he felt. He was sure this time. He had been having doubts; for years he had been pondering about this, but six months ago, when he saw her gorgeous face smiling at him in that church, it just changed. The doubt evaporated. He was free now. No guilt. No other conflicts. It was only him and Tifa. He wanted to be with her…forever. He was sure.

--

It was a normal morning in the Seventh Heaven home. A raven haired figure lazily sat up from the bed she was lying on. She yawned and stretched her arms up, in lazy mornings like this, she'd just love to drowse off and sleep for an extra hour. But she couldn't afford that. No. Tifa Lockheart was a busy lady.

She owned a bar and ran a family; nothing could get more hectic than that.

The martial artist looked over her left, the young man with hair that spiked in all directions lay there.

Cloud Strife.

Tifa smiled as she took a few seconds to watch his chest go up and down and she grazed his relaxed face. Suddenly her cheeks felt warmer.

_Mmm. We slept together again…_

Yea, they were sleeping together, so what?

Wait.

Well, they're sleeping together, but not in the way you were probably thinking. You see, most of the time, Tifa helped out Cloud planning the routes and fixing the stuff for the deliveries. Often they'd work in the bed, and it just took too long to finish overnight. Most of the time, Tifa would fall asleep in his duvet while sorting out the supplies, she'd often wake up the next morning with slumbering Cloud right by her side.

At first it was kind of strange. In the first few months she'd get surprised when she wakes up with a blanket over her. She'd get surprised to find herself lying next to the man she before could only dream about being in the same bed in. It was nice though, she'd smile every time she'd think about Cloud tucking her in. That familiar warm fluffy feeling inside would overcome her. Actually, it would overcome both of them, and as the weeks, months, grew by they got used to it. Sometimes, it doesn't even feel right anymore when Tifa slept in her own bedroom.

Of course, there were also a lot of different reasons why they'd sleep together, not only the late night delivery planning. Like sometimes when the whole "family" gathers around the living room to watch a movie, all four of them would just sleep right then and there. It's all quite touching if you ask me.

Tifa mustered up all her will power to swing her feet out the bed. She took one more glance at the sleeping blond and then went to her room to take a quick shower. Hn. She'd face this same dilemma everyday, it was getting harder and harder for her to move away from Cloud's warmth, but just like any decent girl out there, she'd shrug it off.

I mean, there were moments when you can feel connection. They love eachother, it's quite obvious. The Avalanche members see it. The kids do. I bet even Sephiroth does. It wasn't a matter if they'd end up with together, it was all about when. It couldn't be anymore clearer; they've been dancing around with eachother for the past five or even more years. Hints here and there.

No one else understood Cloud the way Tifa did and no one else took care of Tifa the way Cloud did.

A confession was all that lacked. Not that they really needed one. I mean, they can live together without saying 'I love you'. They're relationship and understanding was much deeper than that. Okay, so I guess a confession is not needed after all, but still, it was what lingered in both their minds. It had to be done.

Not too long enough, Tifa went out of her room, wearing her usual outfit, a tee-shirt and shorts. Her top was white, her bottom was black, it was just like what she used to wear when they were trying to 'save the world', only this time, she didn't wear boots and no weapons could be found in her apparel. It felt good to not carry anything dangerous around anymore. She liked it.

The twenty-three year old made her way down the kitchen to cook some breakfast, much to her surprise, Cloud was already there. He was sitting in his usual seat, at the head of the able, but he had no food. No coffee. He just sat with his hands clasped together on the table.

"Good morning." She said as she walked pass him and opened up the fridge.

"Morning." He still sat.

"Early deliveries?" Tifa asked as she got some eggs and went over to the counter to prepare them.

"No, not really."

"Why you are up? Is something bothering you?" She asked with a shade of worry in her voice. And she began cutting the onions.

Cloud finally stood up and went beside her; he grabbed a tomato, took out a knife and started helping her cut the ingredients. Okay, this may sound unlikely, but since he was settling down, he has learned to do these normal things, he can handle the buster sword, of course he can take on a simple kitchen knife.

"Nothing" He said while slicing the tomato.

Tifa stopped her knife action for a while and faced her companion. "If it's nothing, then why are you up?"

What was Cloud doing? He couldn't hide anything from her. Might as well give up now.

No reply.

Tifa sighed went back to slicing her onions. She wasn't disappointed or mad, she knew Cloud was this way, she was patient. She trusted him, he wouldn't leave like before. He'd tell her sooner or later.

_He'd tell me, right?_

A few moments later, they were done slicing everything they needed to slice. Neither talked. It wasn't usually awkward, but today wasn't that much of a normal day after all.

Cloud stepped away from the counter. He went to the sink and washed his hands. All he knew was slice. The rest was up to Tifa.

"You know, you can tell me…" Tifa said quietly.

Cloud said nothing. He waited 'til he finished washing his hands to talk.

"I love you" He said casually without turning back. Well, that stopped Tifa's egg beating, she immediately turned to him.

"What?" _Is he kidding?_

"I love you" He turned around and moved closer to her.

"Huh?" She still couldn't believe her ears, but nevertheless, she was collected.

"I said I love you"

"What are you talking about?" The Halleluiah chorus was playing over and over in her head, but still, confusion was running through her thoughts.

"You asked me why I was up so early. Well then, this is the reason. I love you"

Cloud has got to be kidding. Seriously. Even I'm shocked.

"A-Are you sure?" She looked up at him; her cheeks have never been this hot.

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Why…do you…why do you love me?"

"I don't know"

"You don't know?" Her eyebrows curved downwards.

_How can he tell me he loves me when he doesn't know why?!_

This was growing to be too much for Tifa to handle. I mean, when she was a child, she pictured confessions way different from this.

"I don't." Even Cloud didn't know what he was saying, but for this time, he simply let the words go.

"You tell me you love me and you don't know why?"

"Yes"

Tifa didn't reply. She simply looked down but then she felt arms around her. She never really expected it, but oh well, accept all the blessings. She had been cradled in Cloud's arms many times, especially when it was AVALANCHE days, but it was never like this. At least, finally, it happened.

"Do I really need a reason why?" The blond retorted.

Tifa looked up. "Well, everything should have a reason"

Cloud smiled and half laughed. "Here I am, finally telling the lady who told me I had enough dilly dally I love her. And _she's_ actually dilly-dallying"

"But-"

"I really don't know"

"Then forget it" Tifa slightly pushed him away, but he just held tighter. No use.

"I can't"

"Why not?"

"Look, do I really need all those technical stuff to feel this way about you? I know you're probably too good for me, but...I feel this way, I just do." His voice couldn't sound anymore sincere.

After hearing those words, her heart softened.

She just stared into him, he stared back.

Cloud momentarily let his one arm off of her waist and scratched the back of his head. "So, you might want to think of loving me too?"

Finally, Tifa Lockheart smiled

_What am I doing? This is the moments I've been waiting for ever since I was 13, and I'm actually pushing him away._

Her hands ran up his neck and she placed her lips on his. Cloud responded by holding her tighter. He kissed back of course. It started out plain, his lips against hers,hers against his, but then both couldn't hold back, things they kept for a long time was poured into the kiss.

Yes. The agonizingly long awaited kiss was finally there.

It took quite sometime 'til both let go. But their eyes were still fixed on eachother.

"We'll see" Tifa smiled slyly remembering his last statement. Cloud moved in to kiss her again but they heard a loud cry.

Marlene.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" She stood by the doorway looking all whiny.

"Marlene?"

"That's not the way you confess! That's not romantic at all!" She stammered. The little girl had always pictured her favorite pair to have a fairytale confession, but come on, she can't get everything she wanted.

"CLOUD, You're not supposed to not know why you love her! You were supposed to tell her it's because of her eyes or her caring personality or the way she walks…and Tifa you say 'I love you too' not 'we'll see'!!" The frustrated little girl marched her way out the kitchen.

The two adults just looked at each other. They didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or too laugh. I guess what they felt was in the middle.

"Uh. Well, I'll go after Marlene" They let go of eachother and the raven haired girl and Tifa walked to the exit of the kitchen, but before she could…

"Tifa…"

She turned around. This time everything felt lighter.

"Hmm?"

"You're going to help me with the deliveries tonight right?"

"Definitely"

Well, I guess from now on, 'sleeping together' would have a different definition.

--

**Ch0knat: **lol. I was afraid it was out of character. Sorry. XD

Well, that was it, I hope you guys liked it. Thanks so much for reading. Please do review. ;)


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